Too much screen time?

How much Screen Time is OK

There has been a lot of heated debates how much screen time is good for each age group. The general consensus is the less the better, and I agree with that 100%. Whether it is 1 hour or 2 hours it is still debatable. I am going to provide a solution I implemented in my house that reduced the screen time to 10-15 minutes a day, and an occasional longer movie.

From my observations I noticed that kids, 4-7 years old, that are my son's peers no longer know how to play. They get bored extremely fast with toys (often after 10-15 minutes), want to be disruptive, and crave the attention from adults as we we tend to provide the entertainment for them. Often they run to the TV or reach for an iPad to find distraction, but they do not really watch it in a meaningful way.

How some YouTube channels succeeded

Have you noticed how many subscriptions and likes some channels targeting kids have? And all they do is show different toys, open kinder egg surprises, and do other things that I perceive as non valuable to the young brain development.

My solution

While banning iPad or TV is an option, I did not want to be the parent that stops kids from being able to watch things. Hence I went a completely different route - that would teach them a smart decision making.

My son is allowed to watch as much as he wants of any content acceptable for his age. However, after the video is done we pause and have some homework to do! And unless the homework is completed to the satisfactory level no new videos are allowed.

1. Discussion after the video

We talk about the video and its content. What was the plot, what happened. What is good about the video, what was bad about it. This discussion helps in the critical evaluation of the content, and also facilitates development of the storytelling skills.

2. Writing the story

My son is in the kindergarten, hence I ask him to write one to two sentences about the video. It can be anything related to the video content, feelings about the video, or any thoughts associated with it. This process helps in the evaluation of the video and internalise the feelings associated with it. Also, it helps in strengthening the storytelling, and improve writing.

Where the idea came from?

I derived this idea from my own experience of watching documentaries and journaling about it afterwards. It really helped me is being selective and critically evaluating content.

I think the mindless watching is the worst thing we had introduced to our lives as it waste our time, adds stress, and discourages interpersonal communication. It took me some time to figure out why watching a comedy was often actually stressful for me rather than relaxing.

While not all content is bad, and even bad content can help in developing critical thinking; hence shutting it all off is not really an answer, but being selective is important. The media is competing for our attention from all angles, and learning to deal with it in a smart, not threatening way is the best way forward.

3 Tips to Be More Active without Going to the Gym

No time for gym?

You are not alone, I often have no time to head to the gym when I am going through a busy season at work. However, I still manage to get my 10,000 steps on most days just by finding ways to be active throughout the day. All the little things quickly add up, and we all know how good activity is for stress management.

Mindful Eating - for better health

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is "a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique".

Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is eating with pleasure. It involves intention to eat, attention on the food, feeling each bite.

The mindful eating helps:

• to bring awareness of physical and emotional triggers for needing food
• to recognise feeling of satiety
• to enjoy food
• to select more nutritious food

Mindful eating is a powerful tool for discovering a healthier, happier relationship with food.

Heat Exhaustion - Assess and Act

Would you know what to do if you or some stranger showed symptoms of a heat exhaustion?

Food Hazards

Perceived vs Actual Food Hazards

Often we perceive food ingredients and food related concerns as a hazard when in fact they are not something we need to worry about.

6 Kitchen Skills that make you eat well and save money

The biggest dollar saver is cut fruits:

• Fruits that are cut for you can cost anywhere between 50 to 150% more than if you bought the whole fruits and cut them yourself. 
• When you cut them you control the quality of the fruit and its ripeness. How many times did you buy cup pineapple that was sour or bitter, I know I did few times in the past?

Butcher/cut up meat is the other big saver:

• From a whole chicken for example you can have 3 meals for 2 (legs and wings, breasts, and corpus). 
• Leftover bones are perfect for a soup, so don't throw them out.

Flavoured oatmeals:

• Store bought flavoured oatmeals are packed with unnecessary ingredients and are more expensive than buying plain oatmeal in the bulk store (i.e., BulkBarn in Canada).
• It is easy to add your own spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, anise, vanilla, or nutmeg. And top it up with fresh or frozen fruits and nuts and seeds for a healthy breakfast.

Soups:

• Soups are perfect meals when you are in a rush, to warm up in winter time, or for a all rounded healthy meal.
• Store bought soups are often packed with unnecessary additives and sodium. By making your own you have a full control of the quality and quantity of each ingredient.
• They are a great way to minimize waste of fresh produce in your kitchen.

Desserts:

• Making desserts has never been easier, there are so many kitchen gadgets from blenders to ice cream and popsicle makers that buying chemical laden desserts is not necessary.
• A little bit of preparation in advance and you can indulge in guilt free desserts.

Breads:

• Speciality breads can be very expensive and often they do not taste that great.
• Baking breads takes a little bit of practice and experimentation, however it is worth the effort as you end up with a beautiful smelling house and delicious bread that fits your diet requirements.